Issue Position: The Future of Education

Issue Position

A Blueprint for Congressional Action

I have always believed that the greatest responsibility of elected officials is work to make the future better for the next generation of Americans. We have no greater duty to our children than to make sure they begin their adult lives ready to thrive economically and be able to effectively participate in society. Providing them with a thorough and effective education is absolutely essential to ensuring their success later in life.

Our innovation economy requires a highly skilled workforce to drive developments. However, the education system in this country is not adequately preparing students for the future. This is largely due to a lack of leadership on education issues at the Federal level. As a result, American students are performing lower than students in other industrial nations.

There is a glaring achievement gap that breaks down on socioeconomic
lines. In the America of the 21st century no student's achievement should be
limited by their parents' income. This is why the Federal Government must act to provide school districts with the resources necessary to provide our children with the best future possible.

The lack of Federal leadership in education has placed the rapidly increasing cost of providing an effective education on the districts themselves. As a result, property taxes here in New York State have pushed families to the breaking point. In Congress I will work to ensure that your children receive the best possible education and that the cost of providing this education will not drive people out of their homes.

As a member of the Assembly Education Committee for twenty years, I have
consistently fought on behalf of students and teachers for a stronger commitment to education on behalf of the State. This was not an easy fight. For twelve years, we had a governor who believed the State of New York has no obligation to provide education to students beyond an eighth grade level. The Republican controlled Senate consistently worked to under-fund education in poor districts, while providing more than ample resources for wealthy schools downstate. I am proud to have supported the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, which fought for adequate school aid funding to disadvantaged district. As a result of our long struggle on behalf of New York's children, I was honored to vote for the largest increase in school aid in New York State's history in 2007, and increase that was especially beneficial to needy districts here in the capital region.

To address the education needs of our students, I have developed a six point plan for action in Congress on education issues.

1) Reduce Class Sizes: As a result of scarce resources and a lack of space, classrooms are growing far too large. Countless studies have shown that students learn best in a smaller learning environment, and that teacher retention rate is higher when classrooms are smaller. I believe that reducing class size to a maximum of 20 students per class should be priority of the federal government.

2) Effective, Universally Available Pre-Kindergarten: Effective pre-k programs have been shown to have a positive impact on student success later in life, and that pre-k is particularly effective among minority students, students from disadvantaged families, and English language learners. The Federal Government must take a leadership role in promoting pre-k as an effective way to bridge the achievement gap between rich and poor. This includes a dramatic and necessary expansion of the Head Start program which provides essential services to disadvantaged students. As a member of the New York State Assembly, I was proud to support Universal Pre-Kindergarten legislation, and I helped fight for proper funding of those programs. I believe that effective prekindergarten provided by school districts in elementary school classrooms by certified teachers who are union members will provide a strong foundation for success later in life.

3) Fully Funding Special Education: One of the most significant cost drivers for our school districts is special education. It is estimated that one in four education dollars here in New York is spent on special-ed. As a result, the increasing cost of special education is also driving the dramatic increase in property taxes that are strangling New York families. The Federal Government has consistently under-funded its commitment to special education, leaving the costs to districts and taxpayers. One of my first education priorities in Congress will be to fully fund the Federal Government's commitment to supporting special education.

4) Eliminate Unfunded Mandates: The No Child Left Behind Act has placed additional demands on our school districts and the Federal Government has not provided adequate funding to meet those demands. This not only takes necessary funds away from instruction, it also places upward pressure on property taxes. In Congress I will work to end unfunded mandates in education.

5) Better Pay and Training for Teachers: I believe that having highly paid, well trained teachers are the most important factor in ensuring a quality education for our children. Increasing teacher salaries will help attract and retain the best candidates. In addition, providing continuous professional development is vitally important. Investing in our teachers is the best way to guarantee the best education we can provide.

6) Attracting Teachers in High Demand Fields: Many school districts in this country face significant challenges attracting and retaining well qualified math, science, and foreign language teachers. I believe that ensuring our students have the best teachers in every subject area should be a priority of the Federal government. Therefore, I support a loan forgiveness program for teachers in high demand fields who sere a certain number of years in a high needs area.

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